Device



1. H. mcflAnn.

ENGINE SIARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOLZE. 1916.

INVENTOR JUL/L5 H. f r/H 0? Muzak ATTORNEY JULIUS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENGINE-STARTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed November 25, 1918. Serial No. 264,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Devices, of which the following is a Specification.

n the use of internal combustion engines on auto-vehicles it has become almost universal practice to crank them by means of an electric motor receiving its ower from a storage battery. Various metliods of applying the electric motor to the engine have been proposed and used. A very common method of engagement involves the use of a weighted pinion connected to the starting motor shaft through the medium of a sleeve and a heavy spring, the driving pinion being automaticall moved into and out of engagement with the engine driven member, such as a gear on the flywheel, when current is applied to the electric motor. Such an arrangement is known as the Bendix drive.

There are certain limitations to a drive of this kind, one such being the number of teeth that may be cut 011 the driving pinion to get a high gear ratio of enga ement, due to the use of a sleeve over the rive shaft; that is to say, the lower the number of teeth on the pinion with a certain fixed number of teeth on the flywheel the greater will be the purchase of the starting motor on the engine. Another objection to the Bendix drive is the length of same and cost of manufacturing.

Another type of drive known as the Bijur drive, is in use and which consists in general of a screw threaded shaft having a nut carried on the threaded portion and a gear on the unthreaded portion and rovided with a driving connection between t e nut and gear including a friction clutch device and a spring between the nut and gear to take the 4 shock of large motors at the time of engagement with the engine driven member. It is the object of my invention to produce a starting device of the nature just described but which will be much simpler, smaller,

5 more compact and cheaper to manufacture.

Other and further objects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, after a study of the specification and drawings attached thereto, in which Figure 1 is a artplan and sectional view of my starting evice in its normal position.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the elements.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the element shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of a locking means to hold the parts together.

Fi g. 5 is an end view of the driving gear or plmon.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gear or pinion shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the clutch elements.

8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the end plate constituting part of the device.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 9.

Referring now to the details, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 illustrates an engine driven member, which, in the form shown, is a flywheel, that carries gear teeth 2. 3 is the end of a. starting motor shaft. The motor it self is notshown as this forms no part of my present invention and its functions are well understood. The shaft 3 is reduced in diameter as at 4 and has a gear wheel or drivin pinion 5 slidably carried thereon. In the endix drive the interior bore of the pinion 5 is threaded to run on a threaded sleeve and in the Bijnr type of drive heretofore referred to, the bore of the pinion 5 is smooth and engages a smooth or uncut portion of the shaft, but in my improved device the larger interior bore 6 of the pinion is suflicient to allow a resilient member 7 to extend therein, one end of the member 7 resting against the shoulder 8 on the bottom of the bore 6 and the other end against the collar 9 abutting against the large portion of the shaft 3. The right hand end of the pinion 5, which I term the non-working end, since it is not engaged with the flywheel, has the teeth pre erably turned off to the root and a collar 10 placed thereon and the remaining portion of the stock of the pinion 5 is spun over at 11 to hold the collar 10 rigidly in place on the pinion 5. The collar 10 may be fastened to the gear 5 in any other suitable manner. After the collar 10 has been fastened to the gear 5 it is faced off so as to present a relatively smooth surface for the receipt of a clutch retainer 12 having projections 13 adapted to enter holes 14 in the collar or pinion flange 10. Extending from the opposite face of the member 12 are projections 15 that are adapted to enter recusses H3 in a friction clutch elcumnt prefcrnbly made up chiefly of cork. The neces- V i I a! sary lriction engagement of the member 23 with the flange 17 of nut 18 is producedby the inner face 34 of the drum 24 acting against the flange 1 0 of the gear ,5 by the tension of the spring19, tie rear end of which acts against an end plate 28 or a collar 20 held in place by the cup-shaped end plate 28 which has slots 29 adapted to receive the fingers 26 of the drum The end plate 28 is held in place by two locking members 30 having projections 31 adapted to enter the slots 2? in fingers 26. It wii l be readily understood that the nut; 18, following the assembly of the s-pring'i, pinion 5 with the drum 2i and members 12 and 23, on the shaft end 4-, can be set in p'laceon the threaded portion of the shaft and the nut 21 screwed onto the threaded portion 22 so as to compress the spring 19 through the collar 20 to a point where the end plate 28 and the locking members 30 can be easily dropped into place. The nut 21 is then backed up until the collar 20 rests against the inner shoulder 35 and the locking mem bers 30 are prevented from falling out of place by the annular shoulder 3'2. This then leaves the gear pinion 5, members 12 and 23 and nut 18, spring 19, drum -24, collar 20, end late 28 and locking members 30 as a comp ete movable unitary structure while the shaft 4, spring '7 and nut '21 constitute a separate unit. After the assembly has been completed, in the manner stated, I prefer to move the unitary structure, which includes the nut 18, forward on the shaft 3 so that the nut 21 can be turned up tightly against the shoulder 36 at which place I prefer to pin the nut in position by the pin 33.

The principal object of the clutch formed between the member 23 and the flange 1? of the nut 18 is for the purpose of taking up the shock of engagement, particularly where large starting motors are used in cranking heavy engines. The tension of the spring 19 is adjusted so that the pressure between the member 2 3 'and flan e17 is suchas to prefer ably produce a sli t slippage between these parts at the instant ofengagement, there being no slippage between these parts during the normal crankingof the engine.

-By the construction shown and described, it will be seen that the projecting end of the driving motor shaft carrying the starting device is materially shortened over devices now-in use and instead of having the drive ap lied throughthe drum 24, I' apply it direct y to the flange of the gear itself. By my construction it will be readily perceived that the number of parts in adevice of this character has been reduced to a minimum and I therefore accompl'pish the object sought in a more direct, simpler and cheaper manner than has been accomplished heretofore.

Since the operation of my device will be understand by those skilled in the art, it will only be referred to briefly as follows:- When ctu'rent is applied to the starting mefor the parts rigidly fastened to the shaft '3' start turning, but, due to the inertia of the gear 5 and the mechanism attached thereto, this does not turn but advances longitudinally of the shaft into engagement with the teeth 2 on the flywheel 1 untrl the end of the gear 5 hits the collar 9. The drive is then from the nut 18 through the clutch members'23 and 12 to the gear 5. As soon as the engine starts and the flywheel runs away from the gear 5, the nut 18 is backed out and the collar 20 comes against the stop member shown as a nut 21, the flange 37 of which enters the annular opening 38 in the end plate 28. The blow of disengagement is taken up by the spring 19 which thus serves another purpose, and the parts are then re tained in their normal position by the spring 7 which also tends to prevent the shock of engagement.

It will be readily understood that although I have shown my starting device adapted to be engaged by the flywheel that the engine driven member may be some other gear op erated by the engine.

In the drawing, I have shown a drive of the inboard type, that is to say, a type in which the starting pinion is moved toward the starting motor and no bearing is re uired on the outer end of the driving shaft. It will be understood that my device is readily susceptible to the necessary changes to make it into an outboard type. or one in which the drivin shaft has an outboard bearing external to the starting motor, both types being in use in the trade. It is also to be understood that various parts of my device may be changed in other de tails without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started, av control member mounted on said shaft for longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, driving means connecting between the drivmg. member and the control member, consisting of a friction clutchplate carried directly on'the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the friction clutch plate.

member 2. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started; a screw member mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft, :1 driving connection between said driving member and screw member, consisting of a friction clutch plate carried directly on the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the friction clutch plate.

3. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving member mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement with relation to the shaft and rotary movement therewith, a screw member mounted on said shaft and controlling the relative movements of the driving member, a drivin connection between said screw member and driving member, consisting of a friction clutch plate carried directly on the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the friction clutch plate.

at. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started; a screw member mounted on thethreaded portion of the shaft for longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a driving connection between said driving member and screw member, consisting of a friction clutch plate carried directly on the drivingmember and engaged by the control member member in position ielative to the friction clutch plate.

A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw screw threaded on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, a driving connection between said member and pinion, con- .sisting of a friction clutch plate carried directly on the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the friction clutch plate.

6. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a screw member screw threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof, a pinion surrounding the shaft and in axial alinement with said member, a drivand means for holding the control ing connection between the member and pinion, consisting of a friction clutch plate carried directly on the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the friction clutch plate.

7. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine driven member, a driving member normally out of cooperation therewith, a driving shaft, a control member threaded on said shaft and a yieldable member interposed between said control member and said driving member, consisting of a clutch plate carried directly on the driving member and engaged by the control member and means for holding the control member in position relative to the clutch plate.

8. The combination of a rotatable screw shaft, a driving member, a screw member screw threaded on the shaft and connected with the driving member through a clut h plate carried on the driving member for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement relative thereto, and yielding means for holding said driving and screw members in working relationship.

9. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine driven member, a driving member adapted to cooperate therewith, a driving shaft, means rendered effective by said driving shaft for moving said driving member into cooperation with said driven member, and an element coiiperating with said driving member at a point adjacent the non-working end of the driving member, said element being effectively locked to the driving shaft after cooperation takes place.

10. A drive for gas engine starters and the like comprising in combination an engine driven gear, a driving member adapted to cotiperate with and drive the driven member but normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for said driving gear including a nut, a screw threaded drive shaft passing through said nut. a clutch device between said nut and said driving gear to transmit longitudinal and rotary motion from the shaft and nut to the driving gear, a drum supported on the said gear and extending rearwardly inclosing the nut, an end plate for the drum, a collar adjacent the end plate, and a spring acting between the collar and the out for furnishing the required clutching effort of the clutch device.

11. A drive for gas engine starters and the like comprising in combination an engine driven gear, a driving member adapted to coiiperate with and drive the driven member but normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for said driving gear including a nut, a screw threaded drive shaft passing through said nut, a clutch delOO vice betn'ern said nut and said driving gear to transmit longitudinal and rotary motion from the shaft and nut to the driving gear, a drum supported on the said gear and extending rearwardly inclosing the nut and having fingers with slots therein, an end plate with slots to receive said drum fingers and having an annular shoulder, locking members to engage the slots in said drum fingers held in operative position by said annular shoulder, a collar adjacent the end plate and a coiled spring acting between the collar and the nut for furnishing the required clutching effort of the clutch device.

12. A drive for gas engine starters and the like comprising in combination an engine driven member, a driving member adapted to .coiiperate with and drive the other member but normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for said driving member including a nut, a screw threaded drive shaft passing through said nut, a clutch device between said nut and said driving member to transmit longitudinal and rotary motion from the shaft and nut to the driving member, a drum supported on the said driving member and extending rearwardly inclosing the nut and having fingers \vith slots therein, an end plate having a central annular opening formed by a shouldered portion and having slots adjacent thereto to receive said drum fingers, locking members to engage the slots in the drum lingers held in operative position by said shouldered part of the end plate, a collar within the end plate, a coiled spring abuting against the collar and the nut and a second nut threaded on the end of the screw shaft and positioned Within the central opening of the end plate to close said opening and to compress the spring so the end plate and locking members may be readily assembled in place.

13. In a drive for gas engine starters and the like. a combined shifting and starting member including a driving shaft, a driving gear carrying clutch members, a rigid memb r connecting said clutch members to said driving shaft, a drum supported at one end on the gear and having means for closing its other end and a spring positioned between said closed end of the drum and the rigid member.

14. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine driven gear, a driving gear adapted to cooperate therewith and carrying a clutch device, a driving shaft, means driven by said shaft for transmitting driving torque through the clutch to the driving gear, a spring and means carried on the driving gear for transmitting the spring force to the clutch device.

15. In apparatus of the class described, in tombination, an engine driven gear, a driviag geared-s ated to co ate therewith and ca'x'ryi a clutch device, a driving shaft, means 'ri'ven *by SaIld shafit for transmitting driving torque thmugh th s dl tl toh to the driving (gear, a spring and means slidab le on the living gear for transmitting the spring force throughthe clutch device to the driving gee said means also servin as a housing for the clutch device means driven by saidshmifit and the spring;

16 In a drive for gas engine starters and the like, in combination with an engine driven member, a driving shaft having threaded and unth'rewded portions, a driving member adapted to cooperate with and (lXlVG engine driven member but normally out at mtiperatientherewith and supported on the threaded portion of the shaft but inunthreaid'ed' relation thereto, and shifting means for said driving member havin threaded engagement with the there ed portion of the shaft 17. In a drive for gas engine starters and the like, in combination with an engine driven member, at driving shaft having threaded and unthreaded portions, a driving' member to coiiperate with and drive 'the engine driven member but normally out of cooperation therewith and supported: om the drreadai': portion of the shaft 111: in unthreaded' relation thereto, said driving member being counter-bored, a spring carried on both said portions of the shaft and seated in the counterbore of said driving member for holdingit in said normal position and: shifting means for said driving member having threaded engagement with: the threaded ortion of the shaft.

18. In a starting device the combination of, an engine driven member having gear teeth thereon, a driving shaft having threaded and nnthreaided portions, a nut carried on the threaded portion, a gear ha ing two smooth bores to slide on said shaft into engagement with the gear on said eugine driven member when said shaft and nut are set inmotion, driving means between the nut and gear, and a: spring on the shaft seated: inthe larger of said two bores for holding the gear normally away from the en no driven member.

19. na drive for as engine starters and the like a, driving s aft having a reduced threads portion, a stop member fixed in position onits extreme end and a spring on the reduced and o posits from the stop member; a movable evioe on the threaded shaft end consisting of a. gear counterbored to form a seat for said spring and carrying a drum and clutch device, a nut, an end plate fittin over the fixed stop member and detacha. ly fastened to said drum and a spring positioned between said end plate and nut for exerting force between the clutch device and the nut, said movable device being normally held against said stop member by the firstunentioned spring as described.

20. In a drive for engine starters consisting of a threaded shaft having a stop on its end and a movable device made up of the following instrumentalities; a gear carrying a clutch plate and a drum, a nut on the threaded shaft, an end plate detachably fastened to the drum, a collar engaging the end plate, and a spring tensioned between the nut and collar; a shoulder on the shaft, a spring positioned at. one end against said shoulder, said gear being counterbored for the major part of its length to form a seat for the other end of the said spring which serves normally to hold the movable device against said stop as described.

21. In a drive for gas engine starters and the like, an.engine driven member, a combined shifting and starting member including a driving shaft, a driving gear carrying clutch members, a rigid member connecting said clutch members to said driving shaft, a drum supported at one end on the gear and having means for closing its other end, a stop on the driving shaft for the said gear and rigid member and a spring positioned between the closed end of the drum and the rigid member for supplying (lllttlling effort to the clutch members and also for absorbing the blow of the parts against the stop when the driving gear is disconnected from said engine member.

In Witness whereof, I aflix my signature.

JULIUS H. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0: Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

